Principal Full Stack Engineer

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Software engineering is the application of engineering to the design, development, implementation, testing and maintenance of software in a systematic method. The roles in this function will cover all primary development activity across all technology functions that ensure we deliver code with high quality for our applications, products and services and to understand customer needs and to develop product roadmaps.

These roles include, but are not limited to analysis, design, coding, engineering, testing, debugging, standards, methods, tools analysis, documentation, research and development, maintenance, new development, operations and delivery. With every role in the company, each position has a requirement for building quality into every output. This also includes evaluating new tools, new techniques, strategies; Automation of common tasks; build of common utilities to drive organizational efficiency with a passion around technology and solutions and influence of thought and leadership on future capabilities and opportunities to apply technology in new and innovative ways.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the architecture, design, and development of large-scale, mission-critical full stack applications and digital platforms
• Define and drive engineering standards, architectural patterns, technology roadmaps, and best practices across multiple product teams
• Architect cloud-native solutions leveraging Azure, AWS, and GCP, ensuring scalability, reliability, security, and operational excellence
• Design and govern modern microservices, API ecosystems, event-driven architectures, and distributed systems
• Provide technical leadership for front-end development using React, Angular, TypeScript, and modern UI/UX frameworks
• Lead backend engineering initiatives utilizing Java, Spring Boot, Python, FastAPI, Node.js, and related technologies
• Drive adoption of DevSecOps, CI/CD automation, containerization, Kubernetes, infrastructure-as-code, and engineering productivity tools
• Champion application security practices including OAuth2, RBAC, API security, identity management, compliance, and data protection standards
• Collaborate with business and technology leadership to evaluate emerging technologies and define strategic technical investments
• Lead complex technical problem resolution, performance optimization, modernization, and cloud-transformation initiatives
• Provide technical oversight across multiple programs and ensure alignment with enterprise architecture principles
• Coach, mentor, and develop senior engineers while fostering a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and continuous improvement
• Drive adoption of AI-assisted engineering, intelligent automation, and emerging software development practices to improve delivery efficiency and solution quality
• Influence executive stakeholders through technical strategy, solution reviews, architecture governance, and technology recommendations
• Reviews the work of others
• Develops innovative approaches
• Sought out as expert
• Serves as a leader/ mentor
• Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regard to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field
• 8+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, with substantial experience in full stack application development and architecture
• Extensive experience designing and implementing microservices, event-driven architectures, and cloud-native solutions
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD pipelines, DevOps, and infrastructure automation
• Proven experience leading technical architecture reviews, engineering governance, and large-scale transformation programs
• Expert-level proficiency in Java/Spring Boot, Python, Node.js, REST APIs, and modern software design principles
• Solid expertise in React, Angular, TypeScript, JavaScript, and modern front-end architecture
• Advanced knowledge of Azure, AWS, and/or GCP cloud services, architecture patterns, and deployment strategies
• Solid understanding of security architecture, authentication frameworks, API governance, and compliance requirements
• Expertise in performance engineering, scalability optimization, observability, and production support practices
• Solid stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage technical and executive audiences
• Demonstrated success leading geographically distributed engineering teams in Agile environments

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone - of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income - deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.